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A mysterious group attacks the genin teams on the way back, leaving more questions than answers.

"Inuzuka Pride Chronicles: Enter a new threat"

Just inside the Fire Country borders on the way back to Konoha

The Chuunin/Jounin exams are over, and it is time for the Shinobi of each town to make their way back to their own villages. It was apparently decided, with the vast number of ninja involved, that the teams would travel within sensing range of each other at the very least, or maybe it was just coincidence that put Teams 10 and Hinotori within sensing range of each other. Either way, it was the second day of travel, and the teams have just crossed over into the Land of Fire. The weather was slightly over-cast, with a foggy rain that morning just saturating the area enough to make travel… moist.

Everyone seemed happy to return home. Suna just was too hot and dry for Konoha Shinobi, after all. But there was two… people that seemed at best reserved about the prospects of their return. We of course are talking about the dynamic duo of Taiki and Shinobu. While overall they seemed grateful that they could now return, both were apprehensive, with Taiki being moreso than Shinobu. Of course anyone that knew them could guess why, but trying to talk them out of those feelings fell short of their desired effects. As the teams crossed into Fire territory, their apprehension grew more intense, though they themselves could not easily explain why.

Well, they're pretty close to home now. Atsuro has returned from Suna with a tan, some souvenirs, new acquaintances, and a plan. Not bad, even if he did find the visit itself a little boring. Anyway, he and Taizen walk along with the group, roughly near its front. This isn't exactly a perilous journey, but they're keeping an eye (and a nose) on the surroundings. Atsuro's gotta justify that paycheck somehow. Besides, huge flocks of people returning home on well-travelled roads is a wonderful opportunity if you're a bandit. Atsuro also spares the occasional glance for Taiki. He's pretty sure he knows why the kid is on edge. Unfortunately, there's not much to do about it. And they can't exactly discuss it now, what with other people here. But he does do his best to comfort Taiki, just by occasionally making (or attempting to make) eye contact with him.

Ryo was not exactly with his team. He was closer to Atsuro's team. The boy glances over towards Taiki and notices the facial expression of the boy. "Whats eaten at you Taiki?" the boy asks. He could guess, but he wanted to be sure. He hated to make assumptions and then be wrong. Finally the boy looks towards Shinobu. "How was that chicken?" he asked the dog. He knew he could not understand the dog, but it did not stop him from talking to him.
The boy then looks towards Atsuro. "So how's your kenjutsu going? Mine's so so. I could probably use a lesson or two if you get some free time once we're back."

Outlier shifts were on rotation, and with the Inuzuka in the group, it was not uncommon to have one partner trot off for a few minutes or so, only to return a few minutes to half an hour later. This was done just to ensure no unpleasant surprises like bandits or rogue or unaffiliated ninja got the drop on these groups. In fact, Shinobu was next on the rotation, which meant he'd be off momentarily. Before he goes, however, he gives a soft wuff toward Ryo along with a tail wag. Shinobu was also watching Taiki though with a concerned gait.

Taiki himself has been glancing around every so often nervously, as if expecting something… or someone, to jump out of the trees at them. The glances from Atsuro were caught, and returned sometimes with an embarrassed shrug, but otherwise no comment was made, at least until Ryo comes out and asks. "I dunno," he replies, at least partially truthfully. "I haven't been around my clan for a long, long time. Even longer than these exams…" There is the clue, as much as he can give with the other people around, anyways. As he says this Shinobu trots off to do a quick sweep, soon melding in with the foliage around them. A short time passes by, probably not more than five minutes, when it is noticeable that the sounds of the forest have ceased (22 for sensing).

COMBAT: Taiki finishes his turn.
COMBAT: It is now Atsuro's turn.
RPCOMBAT: Atsuro defends against with a INUZUKA-SENSES…41
COMBAT: Atsuro finishes his turn.

COMBAT: It is now Ryo's turn.
RPCOMBAT: Ryo defends against with a PERCEPTION…16
COMBAT: Ryo finishes his turn.

COMBAT: It is now Taiki's turn.
COMBAT: [3300:Health] [Stance:NEUTRAL]

Oh, so people are talking now, are they? Atsuro glances over to Ryo. "You know… you're not on Team Ten. I'm sorry if I gave you that impression somehow." Hint hint. "Dunno exactly what you want to know, but my kenjutsu is about where you'd expect a chuunin's to be if he focused on it. But I'm sure I'd just /love/ to give you another lesson." Yeah, he sounds less than enthusiastic about that. "What do you mean by 'so-so' anyway? Have you been ignoring your practice?"
But then, something seems off. "Hold up." Atsuro looks around, sniffing a little. "There's something not far away," he says in a low voice, "Tighten formation. Ryo, you take point. See if you can see anything, if you've got your Sha-whatever. Taiki, behind Ryo. Keep an eye on our flanks, and see if you can get Shinobu back here. Taizen and I will guard the rear. Single-file." Now that he thinks about it, he heard a growl off in the distance as well. "Taiki," he whispers, "Do you know how far out Shinobu went? He might have already found it."

RP: Naru joins the roleplay.

Now feeling like a fourth wheel, Ryo just eyes Atsuro. He's not even sure how to respond. He felt like drawing his blade and getting that lesson currently, but then he'd really not be welcomed by Team Ten. "Sometimes I forget. You know, your team is just filled with soo many people cool people. I figured I fit in so well." The boy's tone as sarcastic as Atsuro's was about the lesson. "I have been practicing but its just not going real well." he states before stopping. Ryo then activates his sharingan…. "On it."

COMBAT: It is now Naru's turn.
RP: Naru transforms into SHARINGAN-II.
RPCOMBAT: Naru defends against with a PERCEPTION…30

Team Hinotori was moving a little slow, way to slow for Naru's taste, so her nice excuse was to catch up with Ryo and figure out what he was up to. She ran, quickly using her sharingan to speed up the process, it wasn't any Byakugan however with the extra tomoe in her eyes she saw things with great clarity as well as accurate knowledge of chakra levels, it sent her near the rear of the group, her traditional uchiha garbs bellowing to the soft wind, Konoha felt so much better and they were getting closer… " I finally found you!" Naru shouted out to Ryo as she neared closely, she noticed Taiki, mid leap into the trees, he seemed to look off thats for sure, stopping in her tracks she brushes her cheek and looks over the group. " Huh..Whats going on…?"

When Atsuro started to deliver orders, Taiki stopped, sniffed the air, and paled dramatically. It looks for all the world like he's been poleaxed as his brown eyes start to indicate panic. "Sensei…" he gets out before cocking his head to the side. All semblance of calm has now left the genin as he springs to a nearby limb, then pauses as he remembers the orders. "That was Shinobu…" Taiki's bond with this ninken appears to be fairly screaming at him to MOVE, and move NOW. His eyes look into Atsuro's as if begging for the chuunin to let him go. Seconds could be centuries in this case. His body is shaking, and it becomes apparent that somehow, someway, Taiki expected something like this. Maybe not this exactly… but something. Taiki looks toward Naru as she enters, but only briefly. But his normal expression when she appears is mostly muted if not absent all together. "Please…"(35 perception roll, with whatever you're using)

COMBAT: Taiki finishes his turn.

COMBAT: It is now Atsuro's turn.
RPCOMBAT: Atsuro defends against with a INUZUKA-SENSES…36
COMBAT: Atsuro focuses 1000 stamina to turn it into usable chakra!
COMBAT: Atsuro finishes his turn.

COMBAT: It is now Ryo's turn.
RPCOMBAT: Ryo defends against with a PERCEPTION…29
COMBAT: Ryo finishes his turn.

RPCOMBAT: Naru defends against with a PERCEPTION…30
COMBAT: Naru focuses 2000 stamina to turn it into usable chakra!
COMBAT: Naru finishes her turn.

COMBAT: It is now Taiki's turn.
COMBAT: [3300:Health] [Stance:NEUTRAL]

Given the gravity of the situation, Ryo gets no response from Atsuro. And Naru gets an order. "Naru, get behind Taiki. You're bringing up the rear. Ryo, I'm on point now, you're behind me, still watching for anything in front of us that I don't catch. Taiki, you're behind Ryo with Taizen. You watch the left flank, he watches the right." He glances over to Taiki and speaks to him while the formation is made. "Ffffff— I was hoping you wouldn't say that." He raises his voice. "Alright, we've gotta move. Everyone follow me. Weapons ready. We're moving!" With that, he grabs a couple of ninjato from Taizen's vest and leads the team into the forest, going at the highest speed they can manage.

Ryo's eyes were not picking anything up. There was something but he wasnt sure what it was. He could not see it, but he had a feeling. The boy then recieves his orders from Atsuro. He wanted to make mention that he was not part of team 10, but now was not the time nor the place. Taiki seemed intent on going after Shinobu and as a friend, that meant Ryo was going along as well. The boy draws his shin gunto and follows behind Atsuro.

Naru was still confused about the matter, however rather than questioning things she moved into battle mode, her eyes turned back to Taiki, very curiously….Were they really in endanger so soon? Naru kept a palm on the sheath of her blade, though it wasn't like she was going to use it, she had increased her other abilities much more sense she had learned to somewhat use a blade. " Fine, Alright," Naru spoke up, getting onto Taiki's 6… She was looking around, not seeing much but she knew something was definitely off…

And so the group moved, and moved quickly. Though it was hard for even Atsuro to tell where to go, Taiki seemed to have some kind of sixth sense that was pulling him in a specific path. About a minute into their travels the impromptu team found themselves going through some kind of field. The Uchiha would recognize it as the 'something' they were sensing, but it was so faint they were past it even before anyone could recognize it was truly there. But the purpose of the field became very clear… For once the group was through the field, a mournful, painful, whimpering of a dog cold be heard from the group's 12, about 100 feet ahead. Taiki grasped his kunai even more tightly in his off hand as his panic changed to anger. Make no mistake, that was definitely Shinobu's whining. Soon the group would come upon a clearing, with a lone… person standing over Shinobu who was in trapped in a tight net, and bleeding. The person was wearing a blank mask, with tight black pants and shirt. Not an inch of skin was showing, though the man's hair was black, almost impossibly so. He held a katana, drawn, and pointed right at Shinobu's heart, yet he seemed to be waiting for someone. No sign of who the man was, or what village he belonged to, was showing. (22 perception rolls)

COMBAT: Taiki finishes his turn.

COMBAT: It is now Atsuro's turn.
RPCOMBAT: Atsuro defends against with a INUZUKA-SENSES…39
COMBAT: Atsuro finishes his turn.

COMBAT: It is now Ryo's turn.
COMBAT: Ryo finishes his turn.

COMBAT: It is now Naru's turn.
RPCOMBAT: Naru defends against with a PERCEPTION…17
COMBAT: Naru finishes her turn.

COMBAT: It is now Taiki's turn.
COMBAT: [3300:Health] [Stance:NEUTRAL]

Atsuro stops a short distance from the man. "Four others," he tells his team, glancing back, "One approaching from the rear." Without little hesitation, he moves into a fighting stance, but does not actually attack, knowing Shinobu's life might be at stake. "I don't know who you work for, but now would be a good time to find a new employer. Touch the dog and you're finished." He sniffs slightly. "Same goes for the rest of you," he announces loudly, "Surrender now, and we spare you. Don't expect any mercy otherwise."

Ryo had only sensed one other, but Atsuro's words were good enough for him. The boy remained facing Shinobu and the man next to him, but deep down he was ready to hit the person he had sensed towards the edge of the clearing. He glanced towards Naru for a moment. He was pondering just how well her genjutsu might work in a situation like this.
From afar (to Taiki, Atsuro, and Hitoshi), Berii (Beri) joins the hand slapping.

COMBAT: Taiki finishes his turn.

COMBAT: It is now Atsuro's turn.
COMBAT: Atsuro finishes his turn.
COMBAT: It is now Ryo's turn.
COMBAT: Ryo finishes his turn.
COMBAT: It is now Naru's turn.

Naru kept stern expression on her face, while Ryo glanced back to her Naru didn't return the glance, she kept her eyes on person before them, definitely feeling the urge to pounce and kill at this point… Was this what it felt like for danger to be close to home, and a possible lost of an ally? Though she didn't strike them headon Ryo had basically read her mind. Her chakra surged, using this time to exert her will upon the shinobi… She may not have been an expert at seeing things, but her genjutsu was something she truly excelled at. The genjutsu link would be lightly and unnoticable for the most part.

COMBAT: It is now Taiki's turn.
COMBAT: [3300:Health] [Stance:NEUTRAL]

The man laughs at Atsuro's words, then sneers as he presses the blade slightly into the dog, drawing another shallow stab wound. Shinobu doesn't whine now, though one can tell he's in pain. It's a pain echoed and mirrored on Taiki's face, as his body tenses up. "Let him go…" Taiki all but whispers, though there's steel in those words. Taiki's hands are up in front of him, ready to form seals at a drop of blood. His body is so rigid it shakes slightly, and the killer intent coming from him seems out of place for the normally mild-mannered Inuzuka member.

"I have a better idea, send that whelp behind you who's attached to this fur rug out here, and the rest of you can go inform his next of kin, if he has anyone who cares for the stupid dopeful wonder. He and the rug here are all that we want." The man then smiles even further, "And tell the pretty lady with the red eyes to keep the hell out my head, while you're at it." (page me for target rolls)

Atsuro gives an exaggerated sigh. "You're obviously a little dense, so I'll repeat myself. Put the sword down, or I put /you/ down. This is your last w— " Up until now, it seems like Atsuro's just making another threat, but it's actually something of a ruse. Not finishing his sentence, or even his word, he charges forwards, running straight up to the man in black, kneeling slightly and bringing his two ninjato up from beneath in a scissor-like motion. He manages to lock the blades together, then follows through by thrusting upwards, twisting the blades so as to force the katana from the man's hand. Having managed that, Atsuro immediately drops to his knees as Taizen, charges up behind him and jumps over, hitting the enemy with the full force of his impressive weight. WHUMPF!

COMBAT: Atsuro finishes his turn.

COMBAT: It is now Ryo's turn.
RPCOMBAT: Ryo attacks with PRECISION-SHARP…33
RPCOMBAT: Ryo attacks with CLEAN-CUT…20

There is a slight grimace from Ryo as Shinobu gets cut. Though as Atsuro rushes in for the attack, Ryo decides to attack the guy on the right. He moves in quickly attempting a slash across the shoulder of the man. He was hoping to get the jump on him while he paid attention to Atsuro. Ryo then follows up with an upwards slash attempting to hit the other arm.

COMBAT: Ryo finishes his turn.

COMBAT: It is now Naru's turn.
RPCOMBAT: Naru attacks with GENJUTSU-LINK…32
RPCOMBAT: Naru attacks with GREAT-FIREBALL-TECHNIQUE…33

While the two seemed to be caught up in a blade fight, and Taiki more or less at a stand still at the moment, she grimances as the masked figure continued stab shinbou however Naru couldn't worry about too much of that right now, finally her tomoe's began to work properly, finally able to see the three others honning in on them , she rushes forward towards the both of them, mostly still intent on placing a link over what seemed to be the head hancho however as she turns around she quickly goes through a series of hand seals. "Katon! Goukakyuu no jutsu! She shouts, sending a massive fire ball towards the group honning in on them, mostly to keep them at bay for now…

COMBAT: Naru finishes her turn.

COMBAT: It is now Taiki's turn.
COMBAT: [3300:Health] [Stance:NEUTRAL]
RPCOMBAT: Taiki attacks with LIGHTNING-CLONE…28
RPCOMBAT: Taiki attacks with LIGHTNING-CLONE…28
RPCOMBAT: Taiki defends against with a DODGE-II…34

The main guy's sword goes flying, and he's soon knocked over by Taizen, leaving Shinobu currently out of danger. In the meantime, the man Ryo is going after draws a sword of his own, but before he gets very far Ryo has him nearly cut open. Naru takes the fight to the two not behind her, causing them both to catch fire. In the meantime, just as the group gets moving, Taiki says aloud in a voice of hardened steel, "I said, let him go, NOW!" He flies through a series of hand seals and calls out, "Raibunshin no Jutsu!" With this three clones appear. Two go for the man looking to take a shot at Taiki from behind, while the third runs toward the man Atsuro brought down, not quite leaving Taiki's range as the Inuzuka Genin runs forward a bit, a look of fury on his face as he and the clone runs on all fours. In the meantime, the only opponent left standing tries to throw a windmill shuriken at Taiki's back, but Taiki is too quick as he zig-zags his way toward the mysterious masked man.

COMBAT: Taiki finishes his turn.
COMBAT: It is now Atsuro's turn.

Scene interrupted by server crash. By consensus of particpants, the scene ended ICly as follows:

Seeing the fight was a lost cause, the man on the right side of the perimeter drew two kunai, and with with a practiced motion threw them… toward the Jounin Atsuro was fighting and Shinobu! In a swift movement with his sword, Atsuro blocked both shuriken from reaching their targets. But he was met with a hollow laugh from the downed man. "Say goodbye to your student, Inuzuka. The young Inuzuka's days are numbered." With this he bites down hard, releasing a poison pill in his tooth. After a minute of throthing at the mouth the Jounin dies. A search of the body yields no identifying information what-so-ever, leaving the group with a severely injured ninken and a dead Jounin. The other ninja escaped.